In the study, a randomized, double-blind, parallel trial was carried out to assess the impact of daily consumption of pomegranate juice on carotid intima-media thickness progression rates in subjects moderately at risk for coronary heart disease. The participants consisted of elderly men and women who already had one or more major risk factors for the disease. Half of the participants were given 240 ml of pomegranate juice daily to consume for a period of up to 18 months, while the other half were provided with a control beverage.

The findings of the trial showed no significant difference in carotid intima-media thickness progression rates between the two groups who consumed pomegranate juice and the control beverage respectively. However, in-depth analyses revealed that among individuals with the highest tertiles for baseline serum lipid peroxides, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and other factors, those in the pomegranate juice group had experienced notably less progression of carotid intima-media thickness.